diff --git a/testbed/testbed/receivers.go b/testbed/testbed/receivers.go
index a928a08261161..bd4f52cdc1872 100644
--- a/testbed/testbed/receivers.go
+++ b/testbed/testbed/receivers.go
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ type BaseOTLPDataReceiver struct {
 	compression     string
 	retry           string
 	sendingQueue    string
+	timeout         string
 }
 
 func (bor *BaseOTLPDataReceiver) Start(tc consumer.Traces, mc consumer.Metrics, lc consumer.Logs) error {
@@ -98,6 +99,11 @@ func (bor *BaseOTLPDataReceiver) WithQueue(sendingQueue string) *BaseOTLPDataRec
 	return bor
 }
 
+func (bor *BaseOTLPDataReceiver) WithTimeout(timeout string) *BaseOTLPDataReceiver {
+	bor.timeout = timeout
+	return bor
+}
+
 func (bor *BaseOTLPDataReceiver) Stop() error {
 	// we reuse the receiver across signals. Shutting down the log receiver shuts down the metrics and traces receiver.
 	return bor.logReceiver.Shutdown(context.Background())
@@ -118,8 +124,9 @@ func (bor *BaseOTLPDataReceiver) GenConfigYAMLStr() string {
     endpoint: "%s"
     %s
     %s
+    %s
     tls:
-      insecure: true`, bor.exporterType, addr, bor.retry, bor.sendingQueue)
+      insecure: true`, bor.exporterType, addr, bor.retry, bor.sendingQueue, bor.timeout)
 	comp := "none"
 	if bor.compression != "" {
 		comp = bor.compression
diff --git a/testbed/testbed/senders.go b/testbed/testbed/senders.go
index bc534ebc57c63..abe930baf645a 100644
--- a/testbed/testbed/senders.go
+++ b/testbed/testbed/senders.go
@@ -222,7 +222,6 @@ func (ods *otlpDataSender) fillConfig(cfg *otlpexporter.Config) *otlpexporter.Co
 	cfg.TLSSetting = configtls.ClientConfig{
 		Insecure: true,
 	}
-	cfg.Timeout = 0
 	return cfg
 }
 
diff --git a/testbed/tests/log_test.go b/testbed/tests/log_test.go
index 210b6ef8928d5..0c6ccf44165ba 100644
--- a/testbed/tests/log_test.go
+++ b/testbed/tests/log_test.go
@@ -356,17 +356,22 @@ func TestMemoryLimiterHit(t *testing.T) {
 	otlpreceiver.WithRetry(`
     retry_on_failure:
       enabled: true
+      max_interval: 5s
 `)
 	otlpreceiver.WithQueue(`
     sending_queue:
       enabled: true
-      queue_size: 10000
+      queue_size: 100000
+      num_consumers: 20
+`)
+	otlpreceiver.WithTimeout(`
+    timeout: 0s
 `)
 	processors := map[string]string{
 		"memory_limiter": `
   memory_limiter:
     check_interval: 1s
-    limit_mib: 500
+    limit_mib: 200
     spike_limit_mib: 100
 `,
 	}
diff --git a/testbed/tests/scenarios.go b/testbed/tests/scenarios.go
index 0ada849e99dbc..3aa3fe3e979e5 100644
--- a/testbed/tests/scenarios.go
+++ b/testbed/tests/scenarios.go
@@ -579,6 +579,7 @@ func ScenarioMemoryLimiterHit(
 		testbed.WithDecisionFunc(func() error { return testbed.GenerateNonPernamentErrorUntil(dataChannel) }),
 	)
 	t.Cleanup(tc.Stop)
+	tc.MockBackend.EnableRecording()
 
 	tc.StartBackend()
 	tc.StartAgent()
@@ -586,15 +587,26 @@ func ScenarioMemoryLimiterHit(
 	tc.StartLoad(loadOptions)
 
 	tc.WaitFor(func() bool { return tc.LoadGenerator.DataItemsSent() > 0 }, "load generator started")
-	// searchFunc checks for "sending queue is full" communicate and sends the signal to GenerateNonPernamentErrorUntil
-	// to generate only successes from that time on
+
+	var timer *time.Timer
+
+	// check for "Memory usage is above hard limit"
 	tc.WaitForN(func() bool {
-		logFound := tc.AgentLogsContains("Memory usage is above hard limit. Forcing a GC.")
+		logFound := tc.AgentLogsContains("Memory usage is above soft limit. Refusing data.")
 		if !logFound {
 			dataChannel <- true
 			return false
+		} else {
+			// Log found. But keep the collector under stress for 10 more seconds so it starts refusing data
+			if timer == nil {
+				timer = time.NewTimer(10 * time.Second)
+			}
+			select {
+			case <-timer.C:
+			default:
+				return false
+			}
 		}
-		tc.WaitFor(func() bool { return tc.MockBackend.DataItemsReceived() == 0 }, "no data successfully received before an error")
 		close(dataChannel)
 		return logFound
 	}, time.Second*time.Duration(sleepTime), "memory limit not hit")
@@ -604,7 +616,10 @@ func ScenarioMemoryLimiterHit(
 		return tc.MockBackend.DataItemsReceived() > 0
 	}, time.Second*time.Duration(sleepTime), "data started to be successfully received")
 
-	tc.WaitFor(func() bool { return tc.LoadGenerator.DataItemsSent() == tc.MockBackend.DataItemsReceived() }, "all logs received")
+	// stop sending any more data
+	tc.StopLoad()
+
+	tc.WaitForN(func() bool { return tc.LoadGenerator.DataItemsSent() == tc.MockBackend.DataItemsReceived() }, time.Second*time.Duration(sleepTime), "all logs received")
 
 	tc.WaitForN(func() bool {
 		// get IDs from logs to retry
@@ -618,9 +633,7 @@ func ScenarioMemoryLimiterHit(
 		return logsWereRetried
 	}, time.Second*time.Duration(sleepTime), "all logs were retried successfully")
 
-	tc.StopLoad()
 	tc.StopAgent()
-
 	tc.ValidateData()
 }